226 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 4 



such good, results that it will be used on a large scale in rainy 

 weather, the time most favorable for its growth and also the time 

 when T. postica is more numerous. 



Castnia licus is the other cane pest of importance, but up to now no 

 weak stage in its life history has been discovered which would facilitate 

 its control. The only method of dealing with it has been by gangs of 

 boys catching adults. Some good has been done, however, for in 1909 

 for a period of nine months 144,606 moths were caught on one planta- 

 tion and in 1910 for the same period 72,645. About 60 per cent of the 

 total number caught are males. Each female is capable of laying from 

 100 to 150 eggs. Broods overlap each other and it is possible to get 

 all stages of the moth during every month of the year. The caterpillar 

 appears to live more in the root stocks of the canes, only tunneling up 

 cane stalks for the purpose of feeding. The time a caterpillar takes to 

 develop varies a great deal and depends entirely upon the nature and 

 quantity of the food. In connection with an experiinent now in prog- 

 ress, a caterpillar fed with sour cane has taken three months to attain 

 what appears to be one half its full size. 



Of the other cane pests, Sphenophorus sericeus and Rhynchophorus 

 palmarum deserve some attention. These beetles are always present 

 on sugar cane plantations and should the canes turn sour from any 

 cause, they are certain to be attacked by one or the other or very 

 often by both. Both are more injurious to plant canes that have not 

 been properly treated with a fungicide before planting. The struggle 

 for existence which goes on in a piece of cane about twelve inches 

 long is remarkable. As a rule it will attract S. sericeus first, then 

 Xylehorus perforans is sure to follow. These two species live together 

 in apparent harmony and quite a number of S. sericeus will issue from 

 a single cane plant. When, however, a R.. palmarum deposits two or 

 three eggs in a plant, things change considerably and before the palm 

 weevil is half grown, there is only one of its larvae to be found in each 

 plant. Whether accidentahy or intentionally, any other grub is de- 

 stroyed and possibly devoured. It is a bitter struggle for existence 

 and only one R. palmarum survives. The larva of each species has 

 its characteristic way of burrowing. Sphenophorus works immediately 

 under the rind of the cane and makes its tunnels outwards gradually 

 going to the centre as the food supply is finished. R. palmarum bores 

 through longitudinally up and down in any fashion and when its devel- 

 opment is nearly completed, a cane plant is but a mass of frass enclosed 

 in a thin shell of rind in which the larva pupates. 



There are also two small borers attacking canes Diatrcea saccharalis 

 and Diatrcea canella. The former seems to thrive just as well on a tall 

 grass growing in the cane traces as on cane and the latter is generally 



